Travel on Wheel Fiasco: Over Promise Under Deliver*

Case Preview

Travel on Wheel Fiasco: Over Promise Under Deliver

Background Planning and Purpose

Students were decorating the floors of the Institute as a part of Diwali Decoration competition and it was a much-awaited day before the start of Diwali vacation. As an important announcement by the Director of the institute was rising curiosity and bursting the adrenaline among many students. The students were heard talking and discussing about the educational tour, but no one was sure as to what was the destination for National Study tour. Finally, around 12.30 p.m., three hundred students were called to the seminar hall, now the eagerness of the students has seen a height. Director and the coordinating staff approached the podium to make the announcement and ‘Kerala’ was the destination pronounced by him, following which a wave of cheer went among the students present. Everyone was excited for the educational tour and while leaving the hall they all greeted each other “Happy Diwali and Happy Vacations”.

The Management of a reputed institute in Nashik was, for the first time, planning a National study tour of its post-graduate students, after the Diwali vacation. Many tour operators were consulted and quotations were invited from them....................

Company Profile

Established in 2016, Travel on Wheels was a Jaipur-based start-up setup by a group of women entrepreneurs with an idea to help women to travel with women and explore the beauty of the world. With security of women becoming a problem now a days, the motive of Travel on Wheels was to provide safe and secure tours for women by grouping them with other female fraternity and help them get back the essence of life........

Commencement of Actual Tour

Finally, on November 20th 2017, the day of National Study Tour had arrived. Students attired in casuals seemed very excited about it.............

Problems Encountered

The study tour with 150 students, turned out to be a mixed bag of experiences, thanks to the numerous problems and service lapses that were encountered during the tour despite the promises made by a Jaipur based tour operator ‘Travel on Wheels’. The Company initially offered several tour packages which included travel, lodging and boarding, sightseeing and arrangements for industrial and educational visits at the selected tourist destination. Ms. Gauri, the owner of the company, had come to meet the management of the institution and had given a presentation for educational tour. To and fro railway reservations, hotel bookings at Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram were confirmed by the tour operator..........

Assignment Questions

I. What are the service failure in the case?II. Identify Service gaps from the case by using GAP model.III. What are the expected roles of the service personnel handling the problems?IV.............

Teaching Note Preview

Travel on Wheel Fiasco: Over Promise Under Deliver

Synopsis

The case discusses the implications of service failure, service gaps and possible remedial measures to overcome the service failures. A reputed management institute in Nashik had planned a study tour of its post graduate students to Kerala. After evaluating the different tour operators on various parameters, a new tour operator Travel on Wheels Pvt. Ltd. (Travel on Wheels), was given an opportunity to organize this tour. Somehow during the course of the tour it was felt that the tour operator has created a rosy picture of services delivery wherein in reality it was a nightmare for the batch –I of the tour. It was felt that the proposition was of over promise and under delivery. The whole tour turned out to be a fiasco with a great learning for management fraternity.

Abstract

A reputed management institute in Nashik had planned a study tour of its post graduate students to Kerala. After evaluating the different tour operators on various parameters, a new start-up tour operator Travel on Wheels Pvt. Ltd., was given an opportunity to organize this tour. However, during the tour it was felt that the tour operator created a rosy picture of services delivery wherein in reality it was a nightmare for the batch-I of the tour. It was felt that the proposition was of over promise and under delivery. The tour turned out to be a fiasco with a great learning for management fraternity.

This case is based on real life experience and discusses the implications of service failure, service gaps and possible remedial measures to overcome the service failures. It is intended for the discussion for the Graduate and Post Graduate courses and Executive MBA courses of Marketing Management and Entrepreneurship Management. The case can also be used for Post Graduate management courses on Services Marketing, Travels and Tourism Management, Hospitality Management.

Pedagogical Objectives

To identify the service failures

To implicate the service failures to the service gaps

To identify the SERVQUAL dimensions that affected the service quality of Travel on Wheels Pvt. Ltd.

To understand the expected role of service personnel handling the problems

To discuss possible service recovery measures

To identify the challenges faced by young startups in service industry

Case Positioning and Setting

This case can be used in full time/Executive MBA programs and Management Development Programs for the courses of Marketing Management, Services Marketing, Travels and Tourism Management, Hospitality Management and Entrepreneurship Management.

* 4th FLAME International Conference on Research and Teaching Cases, June 21st 2018 & June 22nd 2018

ET CASES develops customized case studies for corporate organizations / government and non-government institutions. Once the query is generated, one of ET CASES’ Case Research Managers will undertake primary/secondary research and develop the case study. Please send an e-mail to info@etcases.com to place a query or get in touch with us.

Don’t miss out!

Be the first to hear about new cases, special promotions and more – just pop your email in the box below.